Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw will start in the Dodgers' opening game of the season, making the fourth year in a row he has had the honor. Gregory Bull, AP

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Mattingly made it official Sunday, announcing that left-handers Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu will start the two games against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Australia.

Kershaw was pushed back a day this week, getting an extra day’s rest before starting Sunday. That lined him up back-to-back with Ryu and was a tipoff of the Dodgers’ pitching plans for the historic series in Australia March 22-23.

The unusual opening day assignment will be Kershaw’s fourth consecutive start in the Dodgers’ season opener, matching Ramon Martinez’s four-year run 1995-98. The franchise record is seven consecutive opening day starts by Don Sutton (1972-78).

“Any time you get to start opening day – no matter what continent it’s on – it’s pretty cool,” Kershaw said after pitching five innings Sunday. “That’s definitely an honor. To get to do it now for a few years in a row is pretty special. I don’t take it for granted. (I’m) just trying to prepare for it now.”

In his previous three opening day starts, Kershaw has not allowed a run in 19 total innings with 10 hits, 19 strikeouts and two walks and the Dodgers have won all three games. This year presents a different challenge, though.

“I’ll be ready,” Kershaw said.

Kershaw is familiar with overseas travel. He and his wife have flown to Africa multiple times as part of their charity work. But Kershaw acknowledged that he doesn’t know how the 15-hour flight to Australia and the jet lag that will likely follow might affect his performance against the Diamondbacks.

“To be honest, this is new territory for me. I think it’s kind of new territory for everybody,” he said. “I’ve been on some long flights before. I’ve been to Africa. I kinda know your body reacts to jet lag. I kind of know how I react. But I’ve never had to try and compete doing that. I’ve never had to try and pitch.

“Throwing and working out (as he has done after those trips to Africa), you can feel bad doing that. You’ve gotta feel good to compete. It’s a little different.”

With a week off following the games in Australia, Kershaw will likely start in the Dodgers’ stateside opener against the San Diego Padres as well. Beyond that, though, Mattingly said the Dodgers remain committed to being cautious with Kershaw’s workload this season after he pitched a career-high 259 innings (including playoffs) last season.

“Just because he’s starting that first game in Australia doesn’t mean we’ve totally abandoned ship,” Mattingly said. “He threw a lot of innings last year and we want to take advantage of these off days. We don’t want to overdo. We’re trying to set it up in a way that we’re going to take advantage of the off days, as we schedule him out into April not just the first start or two.”

That means Kershaw is not likely to start the home opener on April 4 even though it would be on regular rest. The Dodgers have five days off in the 15 days after the March 30 game in San Diego and they could put off using a fifth starter until their April 18-20 series against the Diamondbacks. But Mattingly’s comments seemed to indicate the Dodgers will use at least some of those days off early in the schedule to give Kershaw (and other starters) extra rest rather than to skip spots in the rotation.

After a rough outing last Monday that left Kershaw frustrated and dissatisfied, he was happier with a five-inning test against the Giants Sunday. He allowed five hits including a two-run home run by Brandon Hicks but called it “a positive step in the right direction.”

Kershaw and Ryu will each get an extra day’s rest before their final Cactus League tuneups. They are scheduled to pitch the final two games in Arizona – Kershaw in one of the split-squad games on Saturday and Ryu next Sunday against the Rockies. The Dodgers will board their plane for Australia after that game.

GREINKE PLAN

Right-hander Zack Greinke is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Monday “and assuming everything goes good the next couple days we’ll make a decision on where he’s going to pitch after that,” Mattingly said Sunday.

Greinke will likely test his injured calf by doing some defensive drills before he would pitch in a game. That game will likely come in mid-week and could be on the minor-league side.

Special roster rules for the Australia series allow the Dodgers to carry 28 players on their roster and declare three inactive for the games against the Diamondbacks. Mattingly said it was “too early” to say whether Greinke would open the season on the DL but he is not expected to travel to Australia.

Right-hander Dan Haren will likely make the trip as one of the inactives as a precaution in case of injury to Kershaw or Ryu. He would be available to pitch in a scheduled exhibition against Team Australia as well.

Because of this year’s early start, the Dodgers and Diamondbacks can make DL moves retroactively to March 19 before the Australia series. That would mean a player placed on the DL then would miss five games (the two in Australia and a three-game series in San Diego March 30-April 2) then be eligible to play in time for the Dodgers’ first home series.

PUIG RETURNS

Outfielder Yasiel Puig was back in camp after an excused absence Saturday.

“I took a vacation day,” Puig joked with reporters in Spanish. “What – can’t I take a vacation?”

Puig left camp after Friday’s workout and flew to Miami to attend to what he called “a family matter.” He flew back in time to be on the field for Sunday morning’s workout and then went 1 for 4 in the game against the San Francisco Giants. Puig notified the Dodgers about his need to leave camp weeks ago.

“It was just a family-related thing,” Puig said through a translator. “Everybody knew. The team knew. My teammates knew.”

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